Blessings abound as we round up some of the weirdest and most wonderful and most horrible stories from the end of 2021. Baptist women try to lead, small green children will grow up on Mars and turn feeble, you will find $600,000 in a megachurch bathroom, and you will protest our Nazi government in a Cheesecake Factory. And here are links to the stories, in no particular order: Speaking Babylonian in Marvel: https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/whats-the-babylonian-for-thank-you-trinity-academic-provides-ancient-babylonian-translations-for-marvel-studios-eternals/ Future world will suck: https://futurism.com/the-byte/ar-pioneer-warns-metaverse Mars mutant children with photo of green child: https://www.the-sun.com/tech/4044467/elon-musk-mars-children-mutations-skin-bones/ Southern Baptist Women Lead: https://apnews.com/article/religion-baptist-6c5ea89af77883048855b41e4bc30963 Bendroth book Leah referenced: https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentalism-Present-Margaret-Lamberts-Bendroth/dp/0300068646 WSJ reports: people leaving religion during pandemic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-americans-left-religion-during-the-pandemic-11639494003 Satanic theories about concert deaths: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/09/astroworld-disaster-fuels-wave-of-satanic-conspiracy-theories-on-tiktok New religion on the internet https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22832827/manifesting-tiktok-astroworld-conspiracy-qanon-religion $600,000 in the church bathroom walls: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/plumber-finds-cash-checks-loose-toilet-wall-joel-osteens-lakewood-chur-rcna7512 City buried beneath Iowa: https://religiondispatches.org/mormon-group-digging-for-scriptural-city-of-zarahemla-in-iowa-is-a-portrait-of-religious-nationalism/ ; https://iowastartingline.com/2021/12/06/archeological-search-underway-in-se-iowa-for-ancient-morman-city/ Love Has Won: https://www.westword.com/news/silver-colloidal-treatment-love-has-won-cult-leader-death-update-12974120 JFK: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/qanon-dallas-conspiracy-theorist-jfk-still-there-1264953/ Cult of We: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2021/12/16/authors-of-new-book-on-wework-discuss-the-cult-of-we Optimal Business: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/workaholic-work-life-balance-employees-office-workers-hybrid-working-employment-2383521 Cheesecake Factory: https://twitter.com/l2ftv/status/1470993160939712512?s=21 "Cult fave" : https://www.bustle.com/life/33-cult-favorite-products-on-amazon-that-actually-live-up-to-the-hype-8334906 Unfortunately posed inflatable Santa: https://www.newsweek.com/womans-obscene-santa-display-goes-viral-hoa-lady-just-had-stroke-1654648 Geraldo Rivera opens a safe: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78842/oral-history-30-years-ago-geraldo-rivera-opened-al-capones-vault Jesus applies for VP of Student Success: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/jesus-christ-applies-for-vp-of-student-success